Muslims Enter Hindu Shrine to Pray, Then Spray Kerosene on the Walls and Torch It

A Hindu temple after it was attacked in Larkana, southern Pakistan’s Sindh province. (Reuters)

Muslims entered a Hindu Temple in Sindh Province of Pakistan on Friday. They prayed for two minutes then broke the idol, spread kerosene and set the temple on fire.The Tribune reported:

A small temple belonging to the Hindu scheduled-caste community was desecrated on Friday morning.

Three unidentified attackers entered the temple of the Hindu deity, Hanuman, in the SITE area of Latifabad at around 7am. The men prayed for two minutes and then broke Hanuman’s idol before setting the temple on fire. This temple is located in the same compound as the more popular temple of Kali Mata.

“They asked me to let them in because they wanted to pray,” said Darshan, a student of class five, who has been looking after the temple for the last five months. “But, once they entered, they broke the idol, sprayed kerosene oil and set everything ablaze.” The temple’s caretaker, Revo Meghwadh, died five months ago, after being bitten by a snake inside the temple.

According to Darshan, the faces of the attackers were partly covered so he will not be able to identify them. They escaped without facing any resistance, he added. The fire, which gutted the photos of the Hindu deities hanging on the walls, was put out by the locals.

The temple is located in Kali Mata Colony on the foothills of the Ganjo Takkar mountain range.